Traveling back thirty years to Conan, intercepting Princess Eri

Shizuka Ikenami had a well-thought-out plan; she clearly wanted to start with Reiko to get closer to her.

After all, Lin Xiuyi dotes on this younger sister the most. If you can win over Lingzi, you'll have a better chance of winning over Lin Xiuyi.

But her coquettish tone sent a chill down the spines of Eri and Yukiko in the back row.

The two stopped their playful fighting instantly, looked at each other, and saw disbelief in each other's eyes.

Since I met Ikeba Shizuka, she has always been an intellectual, elegant, and composed older sister. Her words and actions exude the composure of a well-bred lady. Who would have thought that she would also have such a charming and coquettish side? The contrast is just too great.

Lin Xiuyi couldn't help but smile slightly as he looked at Chibo Jinghua's deliberately innocent profile, thinking to himself...

And you still want to be my older sister?

Her coquettish manner makes her look more like a younger sister!

Shizuka Ikenami quickly noticed the unease in the carriage. Feeling the strange looks from Eri and Yukiko, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she coughed awkwardly. She quickly abandoned her coquettish demeanor and resumed her usual elegance.

"Alright, alright, I'll stop teasing you. To make this celebration more internationally significant, the government specially borrowed a terracotta warrior from China, across the sea, for exhibition. How about that, isn't that a big surprise?"

"Terracotta Army?!"

Apart from Ikeba Shizuka, who already knew the situation, the other three people in the carriage were stunned, their faces filled with shock.

As high school students, Eri and Yukiko had studied world history and were already familiar with the Terracotta Army of Qin Shi Huang.

These are terracotta figurines unearthed from the burial pits of the Qin Dynasty in China. They are numerous and lifelike, and are hailed as the "Eighth Wonder of the World." They are world-class precious cultural relics, and their historical and artistic value is immeasurable.

Lin Xiuyi was also somewhat surprised. He did not expect that China would lend such a national treasure as the Terracotta Army of Qin Shi Huang to Japan for exhibition.

But he quickly realized that the time he had traveled to was during a honeymoon period between China and Japan.

Cooperation between the two sides in the fields of economy and trade, science and technology, and culture has been greatly deepened, and people-to-people exchanges have also been exceptionally frequent.

Against this backdrop, the loan of cultural relics for exhibition is indeed an important way to promote cultural exchange.

However, as someone with a Chinese soul, seeing his country's national treasures appear at a celebration in a foreign land inevitably evoked mixed feelings in him.

Lingzi was still young and hadn't learned about the relevant history yet. Seeing the two people around her so shocked only fueled her curiosity.

She tugged at Chibo Jinghua's sleeve and shook it, asking in confusion, "Sister Jinghua, what are the Terracotta Army of Qin Shi Huang?"

Ikenami Shizuka was clearly pleased that Reiko had changed her address to "Shizuka-neechan" (older sister Shizuka).

She drove the car smoothly while patiently explaining things to the little girl.
"The Terracotta Army of Qin Shi Huang is a national treasure of China across the sea. More than two thousand years ago, there was a powerful country called Qin on that continent. The ruler of Qin, Ying Zheng, unified the six states and established the first centralized feudal dynasty in Chinese history. He is also known as Qin Shi Huang."

"In order to have a powerful army to protect him after his death, and to show off his great military achievements, Qin Shi Huang ordered artisans to make countless terracotta figures that looked exactly like real people, based on the actual appearance of the Qin army at that time."

"These terracotta figures include soldiers, generals, and warhorses, arranged in neat military formations, creating a magnificent and imposing sight, just like a real army."

"Wow! That's amazing!" Reiko exclaimed, her mouth agape in surprise, her face full of admiration. "It sounds like this emperor made countless life-size figurines! And they're military figurines, way cooler than my teddy bear!" "Figurines?" Ikenami Shizuka was taken aback, clearly not understanding the meaning of the word.

Although she is a college student, as a girl, she doesn't usually have much contact with things like anime and models.

The term "figure" originated from the Gundam series models launched by Bandai Namco in 1979. It is still a relatively trendy term now, so it's normal that she hasn't heard of it.

"These are exquisite toys made based on characters from anime and games, mostly in life-size or scaled-down versions."

Lin Xiuyi offered a casual explanation, then added, fearing she still wouldn't understand.

"For example, Gundam models are very famous collectibles, and many boys like to collect them."

“Gundam…” Shizuka Ikemami thought carefully, “I think I heard some boys in my class mention it before, saying something like ‘Zaku’ or ‘Gundam,’ but I didn’t know what it meant at the time.”

"Yes, yes, that's it!" Reiko clapped her hands excitedly. "My deskmate has a Gundam model, it's white, it's so cool! He even said he would give it to me, but I think the teddy bear is cuter, so I didn't take it."

“Miss Shizuka,” Eri Kisaki looked at Shizuka Ikenami with a hint of anticipation, “where is the Terracotta Army exhibition being held? Can we go and see it after we finish watching the samurai parade?”

Because of Hayashi Hideichi's influence, Eri Kisaki has always been interested in Chinese history, and seeing the Terracotta Army of Qin Shi Huang in person was a rare opportunity for her.

“Of course.” Shizuka Ikenami nodded with a smile. “The Terracotta Army exhibition is located in the exhibition hall on the first floor of Osaka Castle’s main tower, which is very close to the route of the samurai parade. Let’s go first to get a good spot to watch the parade, and then go straight to see the Terracotta Army afterward. The timing is perfect.”

As they were talking, the car had already arrived at the parking lot of Osaka Castle.

After everyone got off the bus, they immediately saw the huge crowds at the celebration site not far away, with the sounds of gongs and drums and cheers rising and falling, echoing through the sky.

The outline of the castle tower was particularly clear under the sunlight, with its vermilion walls and golden roof exuding a simple and solemn atmosphere.

"Wow! So many people!"

Reiko excitedly grabbed Lin Xiuyi's hand, wanting to rush into the crowd.

Lin Xiuyi quickly grabbed her: "Don't run around, stay with me, or you'll get separated."

Ikenami Shizuka led the way, expertly guiding everyone toward the best viewing spot for the samurai parade.

The stalls along the way were filled with all kinds of Osaka specialty snacks.

The golden and crispy takoyaki are steaming hot, sprinkled with bonito flakes and seaweed flakes, and have an irresistible aroma.

The soft and chewy Mitarashi dumplings are coated with sweet soybean powder, and every bite is full of fragrance.

There are also freshly grilled scallops; bite into one and the savory aroma fills the air.

Kogoro Mouri was already captivated by the aroma of the delicious food, and he walked towards the stall without stopping, muttering, "You guys go ahead, I'm going to buy some takoyaki, I'll catch up in a bit!" (End of Chapter)